Veins sprouted from the brute's neck, a striking azure hue that glowed vibrantly, standing out amongst the vile blue blood that sprayed from its massive form. But these veins were not just vessels to carry this vile blood; they bore thorns like a sinister flower. Zerin eyes watched as the thorny tendrils wove together the creature's torn flesh, knitting the abominations head back into place. The pressurized streams slowed to a trickle, allowing the brute to regain its strength.
You are kidding!
All his work, his struggle was for nothing. Zerin took a step back with a limp, as the slow walk of this creature, shifted into a full sprint.
The ground rumbled beneath Zerin's feet as the brute stampeded toward him. Quickly, Zerin leapt aside, sinking into the disturbed snow. As he rolled, he glanced back to see the Blizzard Beast, barreling onward its momentum unstoppable. The abomination crashed through a line of trees, like it was a mere obstacle in its way.
Pushing himself off the cold snow, Zerin struggled to rise. That brute had regained all its strength, newly invigorated, while he felt as if he were running on fumes. His muscles resisted, and his body could hardly bear to take another step.
He glanced back, heart racing, to witness the creature rage and unleash another roar. Another reminder that this creature is nothing but mindless.
If I could just reclaim that strength...
He knew he had a chance. But to do so, he needed one thing: blood. If he could tap into his aspect ability once again, he could do it. But even with this being his plan, it was still a gamble.
Zerin turned toward the lifeless body of the Howler. He knew where he could get the blood he needed. With a hurried limp, he barely slipped past the Blizzard Beast's peripheral as it searched for him.
Reaching the corpse of the creature, he saw its injuries in detail. The wolf's shoulders were crushed, the jagged bones jutting through its torn flesh and matted fur. Its snout was mangled, the prominent fangs it held were shattered and missing from its maw, most likely obliterated by the force of the brute's final swing. The devastation left upon this creature mirrored the fate of its kin, all felled by the hands of that veined abomination.
Zerin drew his sword, the dull darkened blade glinting in the moonlight that filtered through the trees. He steadied himself beside the lifeless body as he knelt. Placing his palm on the creature's forearm, he raised his sword in his other hand above his head.
A limb should be enough...
Zerin noticed that severing its arm might not be as easy as he previously thought as its muscles even in death held firm. Just as he braced himself to hack into the creature's arm, a soft whisper from The Spell wove itself into the scene like a gentle breeze.
[Transform Adolescent Howler into a Veinborne?]
Veinborne...
A swirl of confusion halted his sword. The term "Veinborne" echoed, he had speculated prior that it was related to his Aspect, and now he knew the answer. He wasn't sure if he should rely on something that wasn't practiced, as it would be only a risk, but the idea of facing that creature again in his injured state was even more of a risk.
His previous plan of fighting this creature or even fleeing with his Aspect ability seemed improbable, as [Sanguine Surge] has only proven to be a finite ability that would wear out after a short burst.
With both these uncertainties swirling in his mind, Zerin exhaled. He had to make a choice.
"Yes." He answered the spell with a whisper as he lowered his sword.
Zerin felt a significant portion of his blood being drawn from his body. His Divine memory---The Cursed Seed of the Goddess, materialized. Unease washed over him as the seed, bound to him, began to drift away from his side.
The seed hovered ominously above the lifeless chest of the Howler. Suddenly, a glowing set of red runes materialized as well, the symbols converged into a shard of crimson. A hum filled the air, and the shard began to vibrate. Then, with a burst, the shard cracked and shattered, the sound was like the shattering of glass.
As the shard exploded into a fine dust, its transformed into a swirling sand that appeared like fresh blood. The particles swirled around the seed as the glowing individual specks could be seen being drawn onto the seeds surface.
the palm-sized seed, now flicked in a faint red glow, now with intricate runes of crimson displayed on its surface pulsing with life. It then spun, before sinking slowly, drilling itself into the wolf's chest.
Then, silence... It stretched to what felt like an eternity---until The Spell returned once more.
[Insufficient amount of Blood Shards... Extracting blood to complete Veinborne.]
Zerin's eye widened as he felt the gorging pull, his blood was being drawn forcefully from his body. It felt as if his very life force was being drained from him as if the spell was trying to sap him dry. All he could hear was the faint beat of his own heart as his eyes rolled back.
Zerin collapsed, his body falling forward, his chin striking the Howler's body with a dull thud. The coldness of the creature's fur met him as he his head felt like a dead weight upon it. The world around him was blurry but he was able to maintain consciousness.
As Zerin head sank onto the beast, the disturbance that happened prior, drew in the attention of the brute searching nearby.
[You have created a Veinborne: Vengeful Howler]
He felt a silence envelop him, only to be shattered by the thunderous footsteps of the Blizzard Beast approaching. But then, he became aware of another sound: a thumping heartbeat, not his own, but that of the corpse beneath him. It pulsed steadily at first, then began to quicken.
The Blizzard Beast locked its mindless gaze on Zerin and with a deafening roar, it announced itself. The abominations roar triggered a reaction from the being beneath Zerin. The Howler's chest rose and fell with each labored intake.
Zerin screamed internally; he couldn't fight this heaviness. The consequences of his blood being drained to this extent was his body being left limp and unresponsive; he was nothing but a marionette with severed strings.
The Veinborne stood up and Zerin was pushed off landing hard on his back. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky landing softly on his face. He watched as the Howler arose from the earth.
The fur on its back was matted and bloodied, dark red streaks intermingling with the white speckles that was the falling snow. Outside of its monstrous silhouette and its deep husky breathing, it stood silent.
"Help... I can't move..."
Utter helplessness washed over Zerin. All he could do was fixate on the Howler's back, pleading for assistance.
The Veinborne stood motionless before him, the cold wind whipping around it ruffling its fur.
"What is your use? Damn it!" Zerin cried out, his frustration bubbling over as he struggled against the weight of his own body.
Then, a sudden realization struck him. The Veinborne was not looking at him, not did it seem to acknowledge his presence at all. Its entire focus was locked onto the threat: the Blizzard Beast. Zerin could feel an energy emanating from the creature, a familiar sensation that he couldn't mistake anywhere. It was Bloodlust, the same energy he felt when he consumed the vile blood of the abomination.
On the surface, the Veinborne appeared tame, composed, indifferent, but underneath, Zerin could tell that it was screaming to move, aching to kill. It just needed the command.
"Get me the hell out of here, then you can fight it!" Zerin shouted, urging it to heed his call.